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Empowering Houston Entrepreneurs: IACCGH Small Business Series Spotlights Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses Program
By Somdatta Basu
Sugar Land, TX – March 28, 2025 – The Indo-American Chamber of Commerce of Greater Houston (IACCGH), in collaboration with CenterPoint Energy and Wallis Bank, hosted an insightful edition of its Small Business Series at Elite Restaurant in Sugar Land. The event featured Dr. Jennifer Kellough Holmes, Executive Director of the Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses (10KSB) Program at Houston Community College (HCC), who offered a comprehensive look into the transformative impact of the program on local entrepreneurs.
In her keynote address, Dr. Holmes highlighted the power of education, access to capital, and post-program support as essential pillars in helping small businesses scale and thrive. “Every small business is a story of perseverance, innovation, and relentless pursuit of success,” she remarked. “We help entrepreneurs create jobs and economic opportunity by providing access to education, capital, and support systems.”
Launched in 2011 in Houston through a partnership between Goldman Sachs and HCC, the 10KSB initiative has helped graduate 1,080 small businesses from the region. Collectively, these graduates now generate over $2 billion in annual revenue and have created 21,000 jobs, Dr. Holmes shared.
The 16-week program, valued at over $100,000 and offered at no cost to participants, combines 100 hours of practical business education with personalized support, peer networking, and access to an exclusive alumni platform, “10KSB Connect.” “It’s often called a hands-on MBA,” Dr. Holmes said. “It’s rigorous, real-world, and the ROI is tangible.”
Among the alumni sharing their powerful stories were Michelle He, Raven Watson, and Sachin Butala. Michelle, a finance professional turned education entrepreneur, credited the program for helping her expand her consulting business, increase revenues by 22% over two years, and form strategic partnerships—one of which led her to hire Rice University’s admissions director to scale her offerings.
Raven Watson, who once held executive roles at the nation’s largest staffing firm, recounted her journey of building a multimillion-dollar nurse staffing company despite financial setbacks and health struggles. “If I got nothing else from the program, learning how to buy out my early investors strategically was worth everything,” she emphasized. Raven has since acquired two additional businesses and plans to franchise nationally.
Sachin Butala, founder of RSB Environmental, offered a compelling third act. After completing the program in 2016, he scaled his environmental consulting business to multi-million-dollar revenues and ranked on the Inc. 5000 list. In May 2024, he sold the company for $16 million. “This program planted the seed for growth,” he said. “It made me realize I had to work on my business, not just in it.”
IACCGH Founding Secretary and Executive Director Jagdip Ahluwalia called on all supporting Chambers to amplify awareness about such programs. “When small businesses succeed, communities thrive,” he noted. “Let’s continue to build a thriving small business ecosystem—one entrepreneur at a time.”
As participants lingered for lunch and networking, one message rang clear: the American Dream is alive, and Houston’s small business community is leading the way.
Pic Credit: Bijay Dixit